Chrysanthemum plant--Royal Mundial Cultivar

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant names Royal Mundial is provided. The new cultivar is a spontaneous mutation of the Mundial cultivar (U.S. plant patent application Ser. No. 679,528, filed concurrently herewith). More specifically, the new cultivar forms attractive relatively large purple anemone-centered flowers having a green center when immature. The inflorescence tends to be pyramidal in configuration. The response period of the flowers is approximately eight weeks. The new cultivar is particularly suited for use in the production of a cut anemone spray under greenhous conditions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum, botanically known as Dendranthema morifolium Ramat.,previously, Chrysanthemum morifolium, Ramat., and hereinafter isreferred to by the cultivar name Royal Mundial.

The new cultivar is a spontaneous mutation of unknown causation whichwas discovered during December, 1987 during the course of plantselection work which was conducted by me. The new cultivar wasdiscovered among plants of the Mundial cultivar (U.S. plant patentapplication Ser. No. 679,528, filed concurrently herewith) being grownunder my direct supervision at De Lier, The Netherlands, which formedblossoms having ray florets possessing the characteristic lightred-purple coloration.

It was observed that a single plant consistently formed flowers havingray florets of a distinctive purple coloration. All of the othercharacteristics of this plant were found to be substantially identicalto those of the Mundial cultivar. Had I not discovered, carefullystudied, and preserved this new cultivar it would have been lost tomankind. This new cultivar is particularly well suited for growing inthe production of a cut anemone spray.

It was found that the new cultivar of the present invention:

(a) exhibits attractive relatively large anemone-centered flowers havingan overall diameter of approximately 75 to 80 mm. wherein the rayflorets are purple and the disc florets are green in coloration whenimmature,

(b) bears flowers in a somewhat pyramidal configuration,

(c) exhibits a flower response period of approximately eight weeks, and

(d) has the ability to produce flowers of commercially acceptablequality throughout the year in a cut mum production program.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings as performed at DeLier, The Netherlands, in a controlled environment has demonstrated thatthe characteristics of the new cultivar as herein disclosed are firmlyfixed and are retained through successive generations of asexualpropagation.

Royal Mundial has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature,light, day length, contact with pesticides and/or subjection to growthretardant treatments.

When the new cultivar of the present invention is compared to the parentMundial cultivar (U.S. plant patent application Ser. No. 679,528, filedconcurrently herewith), it is found to exhibit a distinctive purplefloret coloration unlike the light red-purple floret coloration of itsparent. Also, such floret coloration can be readily distinguished fromthe additional mutation of the Mundial cultivar named Bronze Mundial(U.S. plant patent application Ser. No. 679,513, filed concurrentlyherewith) which exhibits yellow-orange florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph shows as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in a color illustration of this character, atypical specimen of an overall plant of the new cultivar. The plant wasgrown in a greenhouse at De Lier, The Netherlands.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors described hereafter isthe R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticulatural Society, London,England. The color values were determined at 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noonunder natural daylight conditions at De Lier, The Netherlands, duringNovember, 1989. The plants described were grown under standardgreenhouse conditions which approximate those commonly utilized for theproduction of cut mums.

Classification:

Botanical.--Dendranthema morifolium Ramat., cv. Royal Mundial.

Commercial.--Cut anemone spray.

Inflorescence

A. Capitulum:

Form.--Pyramidal.

Type.--Anemone.

Diameter across face.--Approximately 75 to 80 mm. on average.

Diameter of disc.--Approximately 22 to 30 mm. on average.

B. Corolla of ray and disc florets:

Color (General tonality from a distance of three meter).--Purple.

Color ray florets.--(Top surface). -- Red-Purple Group 68B. (Undersurface). -- Red-Purple Group 68C.

Color disc florets.--Green Group 142A when immature.

C. Reproductive organs:

Androecium.--Not present.

Gynoecium.--Present in disc florets.

Plant

A. General appearance:

Height.--Approximately 100 cm. on average.

B. Foliage:

Color (upper surface).--Yellow-Green Group 147A.

Color (under surface).--Yellow-Green Group 147B.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant namedRoyal Mundial, substantially as herein shown and described, which:(a)exhibits attractive relatively large anemone-centered flowers having anoverall diameter of approximately 75 to 80 mm. wherein the ray floretsare purple and the disc florets are green in coloration when immature,(b) bears flowers in a somewhat pyramidal configuration, (c) exhibits aflower response period of approximately eight weeks, and (d) has theability to produce flowers of commercially acceptable quality throughoutthe year in a cut mum production program.